Juneau assembly directs staff to scope West Douglas master plan amid Gold Belt proposal

The Assembly Committee of the Whole voted Nov. 3 to direct staff to prepare a scope of work, including process and budget, for a West Douglas master plan and return that outline to the committee for further action.

Director Lawhorn told the assembly she and staff have not yet received a final application from Gold Belt Corporation LLC and that staff provided the draft materials in the packet to help the assembly “think about how you as a body would interact with this proposed project.” “As of today, still no application has been submitted,” Lawhorn said. “We can proceed if the assembly directs us to do so on the West Douglas master plan and by ‘beginning’ I do mean beginning.”

Why it matters: West Douglas contains both CBJ‑owned and privately held land and has been identified as a potential new‑growth area in the comprehensive plan. Lawhorn said the comprehensive plan update currently underway and other work give CBJ enough standing to begin the master‑planning process now, but that a separate, detailed application from a developer would still be required for conditional use and build‑out analyses.

What staff said: Lawhorn told the body the key planning realities for West Douglas are that much of the area is outside the urban service area, and the borough does not routinely plan to extend public water, sewer, transit, or certain emergency services to lands outside that boundary. “When we stretch outside that urban service area, that’s when we really need to be mindful of what those impacts mean,” she said, noting the potential for major impacts where development would rely on limited crossings and extend demands for emergency and harbor services.

Land‑use process and developer obligations: Lawhorn described how conditional use permits (CUPs) and planning‑commission review work under CBJ code. She said a phased development may proceed with a CUP for phase 1 but that the commission and staff will expect a build‑out analysis addressing later phases. Lawhorn also noted the commission can require commitment letters—written agreements between a developer and departments such as Engineering and Public Works—to show how water, sewer and other services would be supplied.

Assembly debate and motions: Assemblymembers pressed staff on timing. Lawhorn estimated that, once an application is deemed complete and sent for agency review, it typically takes about three months to schedule and hear the matter before the planning commission, though she cautioned the schedule depends on the completeness of the applicant’s submissions.

Madam Mayor moved that staff prepare a master‑plan scope of work, process and budget for West Douglas and bring it back to the committee of the whole. The motion passed on voice vote, directing staff to return with the draft scope for assembly review.

A second motion from the mayor asked staff to draft a memorandum of understanding with Gold Belt Corporation LLC addressing workforce housing, emergency services, public infrastructure and transportation. Several assembly members said that without a complete application the MOU motion was premature. The assembly held a roll call on that motion; the result was four yes and five no, and the motion failed. The recorded yes votes were: Madam Mayor (Yes), Mister Brooks (Yes), Mister Steininger (Yes) and Miss Hall (Yes). No votes were: Missus Candice (No), Miss Wool (No), Miss Atkinson (No), Mister Kelly (No), and Deputy Mayor Smith (No).

What remains unresolved: Staff and the assembly repeatedly noted that Gold Belt’s development materials on hand are draft materials rather than a final application. Staff emphasized two concurrent tracks: (1) CBJ‑led master planning for West Douglas to define high‑level policy and infrastructure needs across public and private lands, and (2) planning‑commission review and conditional use permitting for any specific development phases. Lawhorn said that if CBJ does not lead the master plan, a developer could prepare its own plan, which might not include CBJ lands or reflect borough policy.

Next steps: Staff will return to the committee with a proposed scope, schedule and budget for a West Douglas master plan. The planning commission and law department will continue to advise on the conditional use process and the possible forms of commitment letters developers would need to provide.